Poll: Chung Sye-kyun Leads for Democratic Party Leadership; President Lee's Approval Hits Record Low

A recent nationwide poll indicates that Chung Sye-kyun is currently the frontrunner in the contest for the next leader of the Democratic Party. However, when surveying only Democratic Party supporters, former Prime Minister Kim Min-seok edges out Chung Sye-kyun for the top position.

The survey, conducted from July 27-29 by Embrain Public, Kstat Research, Korea Research, and Hankook Research, polled 1,000 adults nationwide. Chung Sye-kyun garnered 21% of the overall support, with Kim Min-seok at 19% and Representative Song Young-gil at 6%. Among Democratic Party loyalists, Kim Min-seok received 34% support, while Chung Sye-kyun secured 29%, and Song Young-gil 9%.

Adding to the political landscape, President Lee Jae-myung's job approval rating has fallen to 53%, a two-percentage-point decrease from two weeks prior and the lowest recorded by the National Barometer Survey (NBS) since his inauguration. This decline coincides with a significant increase in public disapproval of the current administration's real estate policies, with 56% of respondents stating the government is handling them poorly, a nine-percentage-point rise from the previous survey.

Regarding real estate policy, a majority of respondents, 55%, believe regulations on mortgage and jeonse (lump-sum deposit) loans should be eased. Only 21% favored maintaining current levels for mortgages, and 15% supported tightening them. Similarly, for jeonse loans, 55% called for easing regulations, with 24% preferring to maintain the status quo and 11% advocating for stricter rules.